


Last night.

by areeskimosreal



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23992474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areeskimosreal/pseuds/areeskimosreal
Summary: The night before Kayleigh marries John, her and Mandy are staying at their parents. They decide to visit an old haunt, and Kayleigh airs her worries.
Relationships: Kayleigh Kitson & John Redmond
Comments: 9
Kudos: 8





	Last night.

" Mandy, are you awake ?" Kayleigh whispered.

" No I'm sound asleep "

" Okay then I won't wake you up"

" You can't sleep either then I take it ?"

" I had couple of hours earlier, but I've been awake for ages "

" Excitement probably, eh ?"

Kayleigh didn't answer. Mandy switched the light on and saw Kayleigh had been crying.

" Oh Kayleigh babe, what's up ?" Mandy got out of her single bed and went over to lie face to face with her sister.

" I'm terrified Mandy "

" What of, John ?"

" John, the wedding, getting married, being married, being married to John, being a wife even, the whole effing thing is terrifying me "

" That's not like you babe, has something happened between you and John, if there has, tell me now and I'll try and sort it ?"

" God no Mand, it's nothing like that honestly, I love him to bits, and I know he loves me"

" Look me in the eyes Kayleigh, do you want to marry John ?"

" Of course I do, how can you even ask that ?"

Mandy knew Kayleigh was being truthful, the two sisters had such a bond and understanding of each other, they could almost read each other's minds at times. 

" Because you said you're frightened of marrying John, what does that mean exactly ?"

" Not frightened of John, more frightened that I'll be in a position to hurt John "

" You already are "

" I mean I could say the wrong thing to the wrong person and get him sacked "

" Don't then "

" You know my gob, I can't help myself at times "

" You've managed so far, I mean some of the stories you've told me "

" Exactly, if I blurted some of them out when somebody annoyed me, God knows "

Mandy sat thinking for a bit,

" Fancy some fresh air ?"

" It's half one in the morning "

" And, come on party pooper, get your knickers on, I know the very place "

Mandy and Kayleigh got dressed, trainers, jeans, tee shirts and hoodies being the wardrobe of choice tonight. They crept downstairs so as not to wake their mum and dad.

" Wait " Mandy said as they opened the front door.

She disappeared into the kitchen, a few seconds later she reappeared with a huge grin on her face.

" Right, let's go. " she said as she passed Kayleigh, suppressing giggles, they walked across the street.

" Is it them ?" Kayleigh's dad asked

" Aye, both of them. " Brenda, their mother was watching through an upstairs blind.

" What are they doing ?"

" God knows Bill, you know those two, bloody minds of their own."

" I wonder where that comes from eh ?"

" Aye, I wonder ?"

" Through here " Mandy said pointing down a lane.

" Oh yea, there's good ." Kayleigh grinned.

Holding hands the two sisters ran down the lane and into the playground.

" It must be over twenty years since we were here last "

" Or thereabouts "

" Come on shorty, race you. " Mandy shouted.

The two of them ran to the swings. Kayleigh sat on one and sighed.

" Here " Mandy handed her a can of lager.

" That's why you went into the kitchen ?"

" Dad's, just like all those years ago "

" We don't drink lager nowadays. " Kayleigh said, studying the can.

Mandy opened hers and took a big draught,

" God, that's putrid, I remember now why we don't "

" Oh well " Kayleigh shrugged and opened hers, she took a big drink .

" That's awful Mandy ." She said grimacing.

" Ain't it just , cheers " 

Mandy drained her can, burped, crushed the can and flung it in a nearby bin. Kayleigh did exactly the same. They looked at each other and chuckled. They idly swung for a little, Mandy was waiting on Kayleigh opening up, eventually she did.

" Do you ever feel, I dunno, like you're walking on eggshells ? "

" That should be easy with little feet like yours "

" I'm serious Mandy, I just can't seem to relax, I'm always wary of doing the wrong thing "

" Is John violent to you ?"

" No he's a big gentle softie with me, he would never think of raising his hands to me, never mind actually do it "

" Would you tell me if he was ?"

" Yes "

" Honestly yes ?"

" Honestly "

Kayleigh sat thinking, the flare of a match drew her attention.

" Mand !!"

" Dad won't miss one, likes a Cuban does old Bill"

" You don't smoke "

" With these bad boys everyone smokes "

Mandy lit the cigar, and took a lung full of its pungent smoke .

" Jesus " she coughed" no wonder dad has a rasping voice "

Mandy held the cigar out to Kayleigh, and wiggled her eyebrows.

" No "

" Go on"

" I'll pass thanks "

" Last chance as a single woman, go on live a bit, be a rebel "

" Give it then "

Mandy smiled as Kayleigh, obviously unsure studied the strong aromatic leaves,

" Don't just hold it, get it in your mouth "

Kayleigh snorted and started laughing.

" Heard that before have you ?"

" Dirty bitch you are Price "

"Old spinster you are Kitson "

Kayleigh eventually tried the cigar, she coughed, spat, went pale and almost vomited.

" God almighty, and to think people do that for fun"

Once again they sat quietly. 

" Do you ever worry what would happen to you if Steve dumped you ?"

" Nope "

" Never ?"

" Well not until now no"

" I think about it all the time "

" Why would John leave you, have you given him cause ?"

" No"

" Forget it then, it'll never happen "

" I'd die if it did "

" No you wouldn't, stop being so bloody melodramatic "

" I feel like, it sort of feels as if, I'm dependent on John now, as if he has to be in my life, I don't mean as in I want him in it, I need him in it, and the thought that a few wrong words could drive him away, terrifies me, I wake up in a sweat thinking about it, I even dream bad things and wake up crying"

" Like earlier ?"

" Yes, I had a dream that he had left me, I had said something, I answered him back or something like that, and he packed up and left me, when I woke I was in a panic, I had to check my phone, to see if he had sent me any messages "

" You can't honestly think that would happen Kayleigh?"

" It's always there, in the back of my mind "

" I know that it would never happen, so should you "

" I wish I did Mandy, I really do "

" Know what I think ?"

" What do you think ?"

" I think it's because you've got everything you wanted, and you can't quite believe it "

" How does that work ?"

" You've been planning your wedding for what , twenty year ?"

" Give or take, yes "

" I think somewhere along the line, you gave up, you began to think maybe it would never happen, that that special day would somehow pass you by, and when that thought slowly permeated that brain of yours, the dream of the man you wanted died too. Oh you carried on thinking you still believed, or maybe you still had hope, rather than expectation I don't know, only you know the answer to that. Then suddenly boom, Car share, John Redmond and a love you never expected turn up knocking at your door, and because John made you believe again, resurrected that dream, you worry that if he went , so would the dream he saved for you"

Mandy stopped swinging and looked at Kayleigh. 

Kayleigh was staring at her.

" That's what I think. " Mandy said conclusively. 

" How did you come to that conclusion, Poirot?"

" Ingrid's wedding "

" Go on. " Kayleigh said, emotionlessly. 

" Since you discovered your talent for beauty treatments, you were every Bride's best friend. Every family wedding we've be to since you learned your trade, you were always on hand, oh my hairs blown out, not a problem, Kayleigh can fix you, I've broke my nails, not to worry, Kayleigh can fix that, oh dear panda eyes, too much crying, well Kayleigh's here, she'll fix you, but at Ingrids, you hardly spoke , hardly interacted with anyone, you were withdrawn even "

" And ?"

Mandy twisted the swing around, so as to face Kayleigh. 

" You wanted every bride to have a special day, because that's how yours would go, you just knew it, well up until Ingrid's you did, I think you doubted it would ever happen by then "

" I never gave up Mandy, I was close but I never gave up completely "

" Something changed though ?"

" I got tired looking for love, I was wasting my time "

" Or so you thought ?"

" So I thought "

" And along came John, and love found you "

" Yes, I found love where I never expected it"

" I'm going to ask you something Kayleigh, don't fly off the handle, hear me out "

" Bit ominous int it ?"

" Are you marrying John today because you love him, or because **he** loves you ?"

" What the hell………"

" No Kayleigh listen, let me finish "

" No I won't let you finish, I love John more than I thought possible, I fell in love with him long before he even showed interest in me, the fact he eventually did , thank god , is the single best thing to ever happen to me, and I'm thankful every single day that I have him, get it Mandy , that I have him "

" I get it, I knew that deep down, but I've told you before, you're my big sister, I love you like no man ever could, you're my friend , my sister, my hero, you are the woman I wish I was, and I will never ever stop making sure that you are safe, loved and protected, okay ?" 

" Okay ?"

" I know that you're madly in love with him, I shouldn't have asked, I'll admit at one point I thought that perhaps maybe, you settled on John as best of a bad bunch "

" But now ?"

" I'd marry him "

" What ?"

" I said I'd marry John"

" That's a bit creepy Mand, knowing my little sister fancies my man "

" Not like that, what I mean is that now that I know him, and know the nice guy that he is, I think that he is good husband material, suitable for my big sister "

" The Mandy Price seal of approval, he should feel honoured "

" I like him now, never thought I would, but I do now "

" That's nice to know "

" As long as he keeps you happy and well looked after "

" Oh believe me Mandy, he keeps me well looked after, in every sense " Kayleigh giggled 

" Really miss Kitson, little minx, keeping you happy in the boudoir too, is there no end to his talents ?"

Kayleigh sat on the swing grinning.

" What's funny ?"

"Put it this way, John's ruined me for any other man "

" Seriously is he hu……?"

" Not telling "

" Go on, you know I'm dying to know now ?"

" Not telling Mand "

" How bi…….."

" I'm not saying, John would die of embarrassment if I told that "

" Fair enough, I'll just have to use my imagination "

" You do that ?"

They sat for a while, just thinking.

" There is one thing I've never told him, I'm embarrassed about it"

" Really, is it juicy, is it sexual?"

" No Mandy it isn't "

" Bugger, oh well I'll just add that to my list of things to imagine shall I "

" If you had shown me John, all those months ago, and said, you're gonna marry him Kayleigh, I'd have laughed in your face, what me, marry someone like that, I don't think so, not in a million years ?"

" But you are ?"

" Yes I am, but that shows how shallow I am deep down, doesn't it ?"

" Probably, well not shallow, more sort of ………., eh,.....,hm…."

" Superficial and shallow "

" Yes okay, shallow "

" Thanks." Kayleigh said sharply.

" Hey you brought it up short arse, not me !"

" At that stage I was still looking for my Adonis, the pecs, the perfect teeth a stereotype "

" And look at the trouble those types brought you, trouble, heartache and a police caution "

" I guess I didn't know better "

" I tried to tell you, but oh no, Kayleigh Kitson doesn't need help, she knows what she's doing, she's a big girl, so just you butt out Mandy !"

" Alright, I was wrong "

" I know you were, right from the bloody start I knew "

" Anyway", Kayleigh continued, " Where I was going with this was, if Car share hadn't happened, I wouldn't have learned to love, that soft gentle loving man, a man who cares, a man who loves, a man who is considerate, charming when he wants to be, funny, articulate, highly intelligent, painfully shy, scared of letting people down, reliable, trusting, trustworthy and the most beautiful soul I've ever met, I could have missed all that Mandy "

" That was lovely Kay " Mandy said wiping her nose, and sniffing, " absolutely beautiful , he's a lucky man "

" Nah, I'm the lucky one, but he'll never believe that, he still thinks he's punching above his weight "

" I meant lucky to be marrying someone who thinks so much of him, those were lovely words "

" And I meant every one of them "

" That's why it's special, your heart was talking, not your big gob, for a change "

Kayleigh reached across and squeezed her sisters hand.

" We best get back Mandy, it's getting light towards the East "

" It's getting what ,where?"

" Light over there " Kayleigh pointed to the far horizon " That's East "

" How do you know that ?"

" Jesus Mandy, see that bright star there ?"

" Uh huh "

" That's Polaris, the north star, so if that's north " Kayleigh pointed again," then that must therefore be east, simples "

" Where did you learn that , no wait stupid question?"

" Come on then Mandy, let's head back "

" Aye come on "

Arm in arm they walked back to their mum and dads house, let themselves in and quietly went to bed,

" Are you two alright ?" Brenda asked gently from the door.

" Yes mum " they answered together.

" Okay, it's a big day today remember some sort of wedding or something, so try to sleep okay, night night then "

" Night mum "

They lay trying to sleep, but it was taking its sweet time.

" Mandy,?"

" What ?"

" Thanks "

" You're welcome babe, very welcome "

" Kayleigh ?"

" What Mand ?"

" Is it the length or the gir…….?"

" Goodnight Amanda " 

Kayleigh could hear Mandy giggling, she fell asleep listening to it .


End file.
